Essentially Disneyland for Equestrian sports. Largest facility in the US with latest technology and a 5-star hotel overlooking the Grand Prix course. read more

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We visited the World Equestrian center today to see Winter Wonderland and we had a great time! It was our first time to the center and all of the lights and decorations were gorgeous! We also got to see horse jumping which was a first for me. Our infant son got his picture taken with Santa and the photos came out so beautiful. Santa was very nice, has a great sense of humor and his suit was obviously a quality piece! It is unfortunate that the Yellow Pony doesn't take reservations because we really wanted to eat there, but the expected wait time was 2 hours! Event parking was $30, but it was free to get your picture with Santa and they send copies to your cell phone. The hotel is stunning and the center is truly MASSIVE with everything from stables, a hotel, restaurants, a spa, and several boutiques. Rating from F to A+++ I give it an A++. read more

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We came by to have lunch and stroll all of the Christmas Decorations. They were all amazing but our favorite outside was the Santa Bus and inside was the Gingerbread horse jump. The gingerbread smelled amazing. We came during the day only imagine even better in the evening. read more

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An amazing way to spend some time! We are in town visiting my inlaws and they took us to the equestrian center for an adventure. We have kids ages 8 4 and 2 and they were thrilled! There is so much to see and it's all FREE!!!! We watched the jumping for awhile, ate, walked the shops and hotel. The hotel is probably far fancier then we are but it's beautiful to walk through. The areas to walk through are super close to the horses so you can see them upclose and it's wonderful for the children (and adults!) Will definitely return! read more

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What an experience. Immerse yourself in a completely different atmosphere. The grounds are stunning. You wouldn't expect it based on the immediate surrounding area, but it's something special to behold and they are adding so much more to the property. Even if you are not into equestrian sports, you should visit and gain an appreciation for the skill and talent that goes into this sport. read more

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I took my mom to the World Equestrian Center this past weekend, not really knowing what to expect. My mother had driven around the area previously, and found it to be an interesting area that should be revisited when she had some more time, and this was the weekend to do it. It was a busy weekend, and there were a number of different events happening all over the complex, so getting around was definitely a slow drive, which we appreciated as that allowed us to look around and see a lot of things right from the car without having someone come up behind us wondering why we were going so slowly. We parked near the hotel, as that seems to be the center of things, and we also enjoy exploring hotels as they very often have some interesting things to offer. The bar (the Yellow Pony) was absolutely packed, with a line out the door and into the hotel lobby waiting for a table. Meanwhile there was no line for Stirrups, which is the hotel's high-end restaurant. Looking at the menu for Stirrups, I imagine it would be a good meal there, and the prices weren't insane, but the menu is not something that my mother is really into, and the time certainly wasn't right for a fancy meal. We walked around the grand outdoor arena which is just to the East of the hotel, and there was an international event in progress, so it was fun to see the horses and their riders performing. Had a chance to stop into a couple of the different smaller restaurants that are planted around the arena, and I got a distinct feeling of Disney... Let's face it... this place is the Disneyland of Horse lovers. Now, some take-aways... - There are no public water fountains anywhere, not even outside of the bathrooms in the hotel. This is Florida... it gets hot here... give us some relief! - Parking is a bit of an issue. I imagine that a parking structure of some sort along with perhaps a circulating tram system for when the big events are happening might be a good idea. Imagine if all of the different arenas were having events on the same day, and each one of those arenas had a full audience? There would not be parking for miles, and no way to get to them. - There is more construction ongoing, so perhaps these points I am making are planned to be taken care of in the future. The water one is concerning, though. read more

While visiting family in Florida, we visited the World Equestrian Center. This facility is very new, having opened this year (2021) and it shows. Large, impressive, and pristine, this establishment is beautiful to walk through an explore. As someone who isn't incredibly familiar with equestrian events, it was a little confusing at times to understand what events were happening when, as well as the timeline, but I still enjoyed exploring the property and watching a Paso Fino show. Most shops onsite are heavily oriented towards equestrian equipment and accessories, as expected. The ice cream/candy shop was cute and I really enjoyed the blueberry cheesecake ice cream I got. Also, Oktoberfest was going on while we were there, so we tried some German food and some domestic beer. This was very overpriced, but this is expected for the setting. The hotel is lavish and beautiful to walk through. I enjoyed my time here, though this isn't somewhere I would return frequently. Kind of a "glad I saw it" but I don't need to go again type of place. read more

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My niece Keri (horse lover) and her husband Glen recently visited from Minnesota. We, of course, had to take them to this awesome facility. They first encountered Reckless, read the information on the plaque about this incredible animal, and learned that she 'wasn't a horse...she was a Marine'. Do take the time yourself to read her story. Next we went into one of the arenas to see the horses practicing for an up-coming event. Then we walked thru the first floor of the magnificent hotel...WOW! We finished our day as we walked back to the on-grounds chapel...serene, picturesque beauty. Breath-taking. Horses...of course...but so much more. read more

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Horseman's Disney. Enjoy getting to use this absolutely first class venue! There is no detail that has not been carefully selected to keep horses, riders and spectators very happy. The layout, footing, irrigation, lighting, dining, nightlife, lodging and much more. The prize money has also been fantastic! read more

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We went on a weekday when there were no events scheduled, and at first we though we should've planned better, but it turned out to be perfect. It wasn't crowded at all so parking was easy and we got right in the restaurant for lunch. You will still see riders in the outdoor arenas. The grounds are beautiful and the enormity of everything is very impressive. If you are visiting central Florida, you must add this to your list of things to do. read more

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Booked two king rooms for 2 nights. Arena view. Rate all in 788 per room. check to confirm arena view again at check in. confirmed. yes ma'm. go upstairs and get view of a roof in back of hotel. don't complain as we want to enjoy our brief stay. check out charged 1600 per room. told too bad so sad. then today they charge another 200 to my card, mind you left yesterday and paid bill in full. called to inquire , it is for incidentals and I will get back if there are none. after I call and ask for receipt they send one. should read other one star review left by a bride and groom that had their wedding reception contrat cancelled 37 days out. Read owner response to that. Not 5 star. Treatmen is reprehensible read more

Came here for Spookala this past weekend. This place is massive so I got lost easily. There weren't a lot of signs for the event I was going to. I had to get security to direct me to where I was going. Had to turn around one more time before finally finding where I needed to go. The event was in Building 1. It's massive inside the venue. Tried getting food but they didn't have much of a selection. I don't like breakfast sandwiches or the chips they were serving and I didn't feel like eating sandwiches, so I didn't eat the whole time. They also only had two restrooms, there should have been at least four for the amount of people who were there. Also noticed that the building itself didn't have anywhere you could charge your phone. I tried an outlet and nothing. Luckily I was able to use a vendors electrical strip so I could have some photos of my daughter and I during the event. I'm hoping they have the event at a different venue next year though because Ocala is in the middle of nowhere and I'd rather it be in the middle of everything since food and hotel are sparse out there. read more

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The front desk is extremely rude they don't have good customer service. They messed up the reservation and had no motivation to help.

Best horse show venue ever! All of the restaurants are friendly clean and great food!! Staff is amazing wherever you go on property. 5 star fantastic!! read more

First time being here, the location and building set up is beautiful and refreshing there is currently 1 hotel on site. Shopping stores and restaurants are located inside ,This equestrian center sits on 450 acres but will cover almost 40,000 so can Imagine how amazing it's gonna be in the future. Definitely a beautiful place to visit. read more

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This was amazing so clean and really pretty. The food here is also very good. We went to the yellow pony and there, New York steak was incredible and to die for our horse showed here because of the amazing footing. read more

You had a great Holiday display Of lights trees etc. yet you jeep the stadium lights on all night. Cant really enjoy. Tried to make dinner reservations was told full Yet while there half restaurant was empty Pathetic The show was lame - where were the horses? Wont be attending again read more

Beautiful facilities but questionable billing practices. When adding classes beware. Website does not provide notification but if you add classes less than 10 days prior to show they bill 50 late fee. Shady practice without some type of online notice. I can understand if added day of class but not a days prior. read more

The most Amazing facility for equestrians! I enjoy that pups are allowed everywhere on property. The luxurious lobby was breath taking. I loved exploring the grounds, stores, restaurants and the many arenas. I thought it was touching to see the monument for Staff Sargent Reckless! This place is so huge it can host multiple events. Definitely worth dragging your hubby to. read more

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I'm sorry but 5 stars is not enough! Listen People, the atmosphere, the food, the culture, it's all there! See, I know that Ocala, Florida is known for their horses and their passion but this was my first time visiting the Equestrian and I was mind blown. I wish I took more photos but as I walked around the arena, I just felt like jumping on a horse and riding one hahaha! It was truly electrifying. We started our journey walking around the arena where they have little gift shops and restaurants. Once we entered the hotel, we stopped by to Emma's Patisserie, where I locked my eyes on their delicious passion fruit cheesecake. Truly scrumptious and light to the taste, not too sweet and tart, it was perfectly made. This place was truly a buffet for your eyes and if you're new to the area and love horses I'd say stay a day or so in their BEAUTIFUL, jaw dropping hotel with the beautiful view of the whole city read more

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Lots of potential, but they could take some lessons from larger high end hotel chains to learn how to provide a better hotel stay experience. We stayed at the hotel 2 nights for the dressage show. First, room pricing fluctuates & they WILL NOT honor a lower rate even if you pull up the same room for that night showing it's $309 instead of $329 due to our early reservation. That's just 101 on customer service (other than airlines). The hotel & amenities are nice, but they service was not 4/5 star level-they could take some lessons from Marriott for some basic do's & don'ts. Apparently COVID is over there as it was very rare to see masks on employees or guests even though the hospital ICUs are nearing capacity. They also mention outside dining options, including Stirrups & The Yellow Pony (both of which were packed both nights, indoors & patios). We skipped dining at the hotel for dinner due to lack of Covid awareness. We attempted to eat breakfast outside at Stirrups, but alas, they won't serve you outside. We awkwardly ordered our food to go, waited for the to go bags, then walked out to the patio to eat. Kind of silly when all we're trying to do is follow CDC guidelines during a pandemic! The next morning was just as awkward - we opted to get bagels & coffee to go at the pasty shop. Even though bagels, English muffins, etc are displayed on the on-site menu as well as the menu posted online & in the WEC app, we were told both will not be available until the winter, lol! She then suggested we go to Yellow Pony or Stirrups as they have bagels - WTF?.. they are all part of the same hotel... sigh.... The WEC facilities for horse shows are fantastic, but they could greatly improve on signage & better maps. We found it hard to even find the exit to leave at the end of our stay. The hotel could improve in many areas as well for those of us who are trying to do our part to end the pandemic. We had a nice, but frustrating stay... it certainly was not worth $700+ for 2 nights, especially due to lack of awareness that FL is & remains a hotspot for COVID & lack of trying to accommodate the few people who would actually like to see an end to the pandemic vs acting as if it's over. read more

World Equestrian Center - Nice stalls - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Most phenomenal place horse wise that anyone could ever visit. Must be the nicest place in the country? We drove the horses all the way from California. Stayed in the RV park for the championship show and loved it. Loved the horse turnouts. Loved the food. Loved the arenas. Loved the weather. Loved the entire experience. I'm sad to see some people didn't give it 5 stars, and if you read their comments, they're some pretty weak reasons this place is 5/5 and this lady has built an amazing place we are definitely coming back to. read more

World Equestrian Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Ocala, Florida

A gem in Ocala. Definitely a place to go back to We rented a golf cart took in 3 or 4 different events. Ate at the Yellow Pony and dessert at the pastry shop read more

Great place, but whoever is in charge of handling schedule advertisements should be fired. When a person walks in the front gate there is a map of buildings and that's it. Any moron knows to put out a daily schedule of events. Very simple I'll help you. Arena 1. Jumping. 8-10am Arena 2. Dog and pony show 8:30-1pm. Very easy. That's why you have very few spectators. Online info is terrible. We've been here twice. Never going back. read more

Horsey Disneyland! :) I'll have to bring my granddaughter back here. She's been riding horses for years and this is her Disneyland for sure. Whether you are a horse lover or not, you will find something to appreciate here. The arenas, indoor and out are pristine. The showmanship at the events is unmatched and the backdrop is beautiful. Bonus tip: It's a big place, rent a Golf Cart to see alllllll the acres and what it has to offer. There are shops and eateries inside some of the arenas and some toy stores, sweet shoppes, and restaurant/bars in the Equestrian Hotel. The lobby itself is worth touring as well. Behind the hotel (well I guess I'm front of the hotel) are acres and acres of outdoor grounds peppered with Live Oak trees draped in Spanish moss. Against the outdoor arenas and the green grasses, it's heavenly. Do take time to explore the chapel, the stables, the arenas, etc. If you are a horse person, go on an event day when there are even MORE vendors with lots of equestrian ware and horse gear. I'll be back with my granddaughter... for her, and for me too. read more

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The place is beautiful you can't deny that. The servers are all very professional and friendly. The food is OK (yellow pony) but it's VERY expensive for the food and drinks for what you get. Your really paying for the ambiance. They cater more to the out of town guests. read more

What an amazing experience. Every single employee I encountered was friendly and helpful. The shops were wonderful and so were the people running them. The arenas and grounds were beautiful. We stayed in the "home away from home" mobile homes. Extremely clean and comfortable. I loved everything about this place. Can't wait to come back. read more

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The WEC's winter wonderland was a bit of a let down. We love visiting the WEC with our children and assumed their Christmas event would be spectacular. I just didn't think there was enough going on, not much to see. There were some lights, but honestly downtown Ocala had more. The reindeer are only one or two nights a week so be sure to check the schedule! The ice rink was just plastic and peanut oil -- NO ICE. That was probably the biggest let down. They had some super hero's and princesses (spider man, Moana, Skywalker). It was kind of random for Christmas but my kids enjoyed it. I hope next year they splurge by getting the real ice rink and loading the place up with spectacular lighting. Then it would be work checking out at Christmas time. read more

World Equestrian Center - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Beautiful facility! Took a drive thru at night so I didn't get a chance to see anyone riding but the place is stunning.

If you own a horse, and you've been to Disney world, combine them and you get the World Equestrian Center! I can't think of any that was missed! And they're still not done! Can't wait to see what they add! read more

Beautiful hotel. Housekeeping service needs work. How can you be gone 6 hours and no one has cleaned your room ?

We brought our RV to join friends with their RV. This facility is fantastic. We participated in the Ocala Food and Wine Festival. Dinners served for over 250 guests. Food came out all at once, service exceptionally good, food was every bit as exceptional. Staff were polite, helpful and super organized. We will attend again next year and will probably go for other events as well. Beautiful. read more

2023 Iberian Horse Show at World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Friday Oct. 20th. I am a regular visitor for a year, as I'm new to the area. While I love the facilities and entertainment, they still fall short on many logistical fronts over the year. There is very little if no information at the facilities for multiple events. No guides to direct audiences to the main entrances, no times, just a map. And when I write to them with economical solutions, the correspondences are not acknowledged. This Fall, my family and I attended the 2023 Iberian Horse reception and show afterwards. We arrived an hour before the show. It was so packed you could hardly move through the crowd. The lights in the event/arena were partially lit on both ends which suggested there might be a full arena show. But we also noticed on the far end of the arena a mobile wall. The entire arena's seating was packed, and standing room only at the far ends of the arena. We soon realized that the show was only being held at one end of the arena. The sound system was small/mobile for the event and directed to one end of the arena. Half of the audience was ignored by the performers except one rider who was adorned as a knight with a white cape. He saw the crowd and came to our end to ride, but none of the other performers did. My father, who has mobility problems had a tough time navigating the area and wore out fairly quickly. He can barely make it up a few stairs...as all the areas where the handicapped seats are set aside were full...and able bodied people were standing in front of those people, blocking their view. Why aren't there any ushers to ensure there aren't any fire code violations by blocking the access areas/aisles? This was the worst planning I have seen. There was no attempt to turn on the jumbotrons so the full audience could see the show, no full arena sound and sound quality was poor. There were no efforts made by the event planners to adjust. We left after the Colonial performers ignored half the arena. What a waste of our time. :/ If WEC hired me, I would make changes to the facilities, planning, and their communication processes, that would make visitors and performers experiences far better than mine. read more

Disneyland for Equestrians!! What a place! We'd been hearing about WEC from lots of our horse friends and decided to go see it for a weekend. Where to start? We got a room in the hotel with a view overlooking the main arena... what a great room! Huge with plenty of space, drawers, closets... great bathroom with double vanity... the water-closet was like a small apartment! They apparently have their own water-treatment plant so all the water is super soft - I would say almost distilled - so the shower is very nice, tho the water pressure was a bit low. Everything - I mean every detail - has been thought out and is top drawer. All the barns are indoors and air-conditioned. To give you an idea of the size of each barn, I would say you could fit 10 full size tennis courts side by side inside each barn. And there are 5 of those barns. Plus all the stables are indoors and air conditioned. That means: NO FLIES! Our entire time there we saw, literally, 2 flies! and we remember exactly where we saw each 1. The Yellow Pony bar and grill is great to have some drinks and a casual lunch or dinner. The Stirrups restaurant was something else! The ambiance is amazing with high vaulted ceilings, great art all around. The service is impeccable but inviting, engaging and very personable if you're amenable to that. The food was excellent - sometimes to the point of being inexplicably good! We came back twice and reordered some things just because we couldn't believe how great they were the 1st time! Their bacon - extra crispy - can only be described as "magic", and their little cherry tomatoes actually define what a tomato is supposed to taste like. Engage the serving staff and they will repay the courtesy in spades! Oh: and did I mention that access to WEC is free?! Just drive in, park and go anywhere you like and see whatever show you want. The couple who set this up really knew what they were doing! This facility is going to transform the whole city of Ocala, FL. This is a "don't-miss" experience for sure! read more

Just went to the Iberian Spectacular horse show last night and there was nothing spectacular about it. The horses only performed on a quarter of the arena grounds, so the other 3/4 was not used, leaving a crowd of people unable to see anything. People were upset and started leaving 15 min into the program. Felt sorry for the kids who couldn't see anything. This is my second botched event there, so have no plans to go back. read more

This is an absolutely amazing venue, if you have an interest in horses, or just want to spend time in a beautiful place, WEC is for you. Come out and enjoy. George D. read more

I've shown horses all over the United States and nothing compares to WEC. The facility is clean, you're not afraid of walking your horse through. some facilities are filthy but WEC employees stay on top of things. I am from Ocala was raised on a horse farm and have trained and shown horses my entire life. Our horse community was unbelievably thrilled when we heard the facility was in the planning stage. WEC. has exceeded all our expectations. read more

My wife and I were in Ocala doing some off road driving in Ocala national park and decided to not drive home. So we looked online and saw this place and decided to stop in. We did not know that this place existed. So beautiful. The riding competition was going on right outside of our room. Highly recommend. read more

World Equestrian Center - The view outside the room. - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Ocala, Florida

What a nice place. We watched competition and walked the grounds. Had lunch and then the rain came. Highly recommend a visit.

This review is for the World Equestrian Center Ocala FL Bull Riding event on Dec. 31, 2021 POORLY PLANNED. It took us over an hour in line just to get to a parking place. Then the line to purchase tickets was about a block long!! By the time we would have gotten our tickets there would only have been only 30-45 minutes left of the show. That is if they didn't end up cutting off ticket sales while there were still people in line. Shame on the venue for now having a better system for moving cars into the parking lot. If it is not improved it is going to hurt attendance at future events. We were so looking for to spend New Years Eve watching "real cowboys!" read more